Old Echoes
by Prander
Summary: To hopefully prove I can write more than adult themes, I hope you all enjoy this cross-over tale. Thanks for the feedback and reviews and please check out my profile or forum for a personal thank you. :)


"My lord Megatron there is still no sign of the signal." The Scan-trooper reported, still panning over the immediate area as Megatron walked up to him. Throughout the massive abandoned junkyard, several other Scan-troops were moving about meticulously in a repeat pattern. This was the third such pass.

"Impossible. Keep looking! Even if we have to over-turn ever nut and bolt in the place." Megatron snarled.

"Yes m'lord." The trooper answered without a flicker of complaint and returned to his work, hefting the complex device in his arms coupled to the array on his back.

Starscream, one pace safely behind and to Megatrons left, let his disgust show. He felt he could dare to take a few liberties that the trooper would not. He held his hands out pleadingly to Megatron.

"Master that just won't do. We've already been here to long. Not even the humans have a use for this place anymore. There's nothing here."

As if reading his mind Megatron turned his head slightly and Starscream balked under his baleful gaze..

"Starscream, you have not been allowed back into the Decepticon fold long enough to take liberties with me. If you have nothing to say, then say nothing."

Turning to his treacherous second in command, the massive Decepticon leader loomed over him.

"Or I might just decide to leave behind a contribution to this junk yard, hmm?"

"I meant no offense master!" Starscream took a step back.

"It's just that...we are exposed the longer we delay! The Autobots could be here any minute."

Megatron snorted.

"Precisely Starscream. If Prime had detected the same trace of a signal as we have, he would have been here already. So I will have whatever it is. I will not miss this opportunity."

"And what of the humans?"

"What of them?" Megatron straightened up and turned back around.

Starscream couldn't help himself since he had stepped somewhat safely out of reach behind an old rusted out human vehicle.

"But there's nothing there. Why are you obsessing over this, master?" He dragged out the sentence.

"It could be a relic. Have you thought of that." Megatron spoke over his shoulder.

"Here?! It's like nothing we've seen before. It is certainly _not _a relic signal. It's just a scrap! Soundwave himself designed those scanning units and not even he can properly triangulate the signal."

"You show your ignorance. You admit it's like nothing we have seen before, and yet you would have us just leave? Anything that can keep itself hidden from Soundwave is worth having."

Starscream opened his mouth.

"But..."

"Yesss?" Megatron spoke as sweetly as a snake, his long talons curling into fists. Starscream blinked hard at him and then scuttled out from behind the pile of rusting iron.

"Alright you fools, recalibrate!" He called out, puffing himself up importantly and walking out among the junk yard himself, shouting more needless commands.

Megatron allowed him too, nuisance though he would prove to be, as he continued to observe his warriors. One or two of the troopers looked up, but they never paused in their work. Their knew their job as well as they knew Starscream.

And yet, as infuriatingly as he always managed to do, Starscream had put a thorn of criticism into Megatron thoughts.

He admitted to himself that he _had_ stayed here over-long, slightly out of character for even his ruthless determination. The troopers would never question him, and yet the one had said 'the signal' and not 'the autobot signal'. That much was true. Not even Soundwave could determine if it was even Autobot and he personally knew there was no way it could be Decepticon. It was a trace of cybertronian...whatever and that was all.

So what could it be? It might be an old blaster or power cell, left over from the great battles. Something the humans had hauled here unknowingly and left for scrap.

It could be anything. _Was_ he obsessing?

Megatron tilted his head, piqued by his own curiosity this day. Perhaps there was more to Primes lack of appearance than he was allowing. Perhaps it _was _nothing, this scrap of a signal. Something even the Autobot's disregarded, although it wasn't certain how their global scanners compared to the Decepticon warship. And the humans? Dismissible as they were, they would not overlook a Transformer sized blaster or even a body. And now Starscreams whines were needling inside his thoughts as well.

Megatron, in the black recesses of his spark, suddenly felt slightly foolish.

"Alright." he spoke and every Decepticon in the massive field of old vehicles and scrap iron heard him.

Starscream looked back at him, cringing a little.

"Enough prattling, Starscream. Decepticons return to base."

One by one the troopers followed his command, transforming and vaulting into the sky on vapor trails of jet wash. Starscream blinked at Megatron and then followed suit, transforming and graciously spinning into the air, already pulling ahead of the others. Two troopers remained though, hovered at a respectful distance as they waited for him.

Megatron stood stock still for long moments. His blood-purple eyes roamed across the piles of human vehicles, appliances and various scrap. He could smell the rust and crude oil and there was no real reason to linger. Yet he did.

He stood there for many minutes more and then transformed, his armored flayer blasting up towards the stratosphere in a swirl of rust flakes and dirt. The other two followed.

Starscream and Soundwave were waiting for him as he landed.

He answered Soundwaves unspoken inquiry.

"Stay on station until I say otherwise." And he stalked past Starscream, fuming.

Soundwave, the mindless drone, said nothing as usual and fell in behind Megatron without question.

Starscream sighed and dropped his arms. No matter. It _was _good to be home.

Later that night, Megatrons lone flyer-form broke away from the warhsip and slowly spiraled down towards the ground in ever diminishing circles.

He was drawn back to that great human junkyard for reasons not even he could explain and that drove him on instinctively. There was more here than just scrap. He would settle this mystery once and for all and damn everything else.

He glided over the acres of rusted metal, his shadow passing over the still piles of junk like a great scavenger, until feeling compelled to do so he transformed and dropped down on his great armored boots with a ground shaking stamp.

He straightened up and snarled to the howling wind among the broken vehicle windows and piles of doors and engine blocks.

"All right then."

From the shadows a twisted, thick iron beam smashed off of Megatrons face, rocking him back three paces. The force of the blow was like an iron thunderclap and sparks danced in his vision but he did not fall. Shaking his head and snarling he fired off a blast of his cannon in return only to see it immediately deflected away into a pile of flattened automobiles. He watched his own shot immolate the pile and then he turned back to his attacker, his long gladiator blade singing out of his forearm.

A large pile of scrap was rising up like a small volcano, raining off the bot that was transforming from underneath it.

"Hiding in vehicle form all this time eh? Oh, you _must _be an Autobot." Megatron grinned.

"I was." the newcomer grated, his voice deep and old.

"How did you..." Megatron began but then there was a low hum of a repulsor field from the Autobot and a veritable wave of heavy twisted junk flew at him. Megatron ducked and weaved and sliced his way through it, his eyes gleaming.

The cacophony of twisted metal was over and he took a step towards his attacker. His attacker took a step towards him.

"So...repulsor technology. How charming. How long can you keep that up, old one?" Megatron asked.

"Long enough." The autobot growled, but it wasn't true, already he was dropping the field.

"Tired already? You should have stayed hidden. Who are you?" Megatron demanded, taking in new details. Indeed he had been right to call this one old. His faded black chassis was in terrible shape, rusted through in some spots to even show the inner workings underneath. He was bulky and powerful looking...or at least he had been at one time. Now his weathered body groaned with corrosion as he moved, fine rust sifting from his joints like powder. His mouth was a thin angry line and his visor glowed a dull red as he glared.

And he didn't answer, he just came right ahead, rolling his shoulders as if limbering up for a fight. Megatron laughed, cruel and confident. With a lightning slash he sent his blade into the bot's side.

To his shock the old warrior took the blow, even lifting his arm to receive it, and when the blade bit home he slammed that arm down, knocking Megatrons cannon free and pinning his arm.

Then a massively armored fist slammed a blow into his face.

Megatron in his turn took the blow, his head snapping back, but then roaring in anger he turned and flung the autobot over his shoulder with one arm.

His blade ripped free in a shower of sparks but the old one never made a sound as he slammed into one of the many piles of scrap human vehicles. He rolled with the blow and came up surprisingly agile on both feet, his back to a huge garage door shut down behind him in one of the human buildings.

"Is that all you got?" The deep voiced mocked him without a hint of pain. Steam wafted up from his body in the cool air.

"Your predecessor had a lot more than that." The old bot scoffed.

"What?" Megatrons return mockery died on his lips. He was startled, but then it dawned on him who and what he now faced. The signs were all there.

"Ahhh so that's the mystery. How truly pathetic."

The old one moved forward slowly. He hefted his fists like an old boxer.

Megatron always felt superior. It was a trait built right into his character. And there was no denying his supremacy now. He had no fear, not remotely, but still he had to admit he was curious. There _was_ a relic here after all and he relished salting the wound.

He stood still, his eyes gleaming.

"Generation One then, is it?" he growled, bemused.

The old one said nothing.

Megatron sneered.

"I remember you over-engineered clods. Clunking around fighting over your pathetic little energon cubes all those years ago. Ha!" Megatron spat.

"If I had know this I would have melted you down from above." he snarled, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. He even looked away.

"That's the trouble with you Megatrons...you always talk to much." the low voice grumbled.

Megatron laughed loud now, genuinely amused as he looked back at the Autobot.

"My predecessor be damned. But you said you _were _an Autobot. So what is this? Ran away to hide here in retirement like so much junk yourself? I apologize for disturbing you from yourrusty_ nap_."

"I knew who you were the moment you stumbled across me." The warrior said and Megatron grinned, delightedly evil.

"Yeah sure, my time is over." The bot went on. "I watched them all go down one by one until there was just me. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't take a shot at you when you had the guts to come back here and have a look for yourself."

It appeared the old one had no idea that a Prime was here on earth and Megatron was not about to tell him. But none of that would hardly matter.

"How noble a sentiment for the ignoble end you've chosen. Know _this_ then, old one, your life is down to minutes."

"So be it."

"Tell me your name before I rip it out of you and I'll make it quick."

"They called me Trailbreaker, loud mouth, and you can come over here and bloody well try."

In the confines of the huge abandoned garage, a rat paused as it scurried across the floor. It's first reaction had to been to freeze when it sensed danger but now the ground shook, and a moment after it bolted for the walls of the musty old building, all hell broke loose in it's quiet little world.

Trailbreaker's body slammed through the huge yet flimsy garage door as he and Megatron exchanged blows. The new Decepticon leader was fast. Terribly fast...and ruthless.

Vicious and powerful where his predecessor had once been a predictable brute.

This one minced words no longer and was carving great chunks of armor and machinery from Trailbreaker's body with his blade.

He wasn't having it all his own way though and Trailbreaker had held his ground for a moment. But now he was down, on his back and Megatrons form tore through the remains of the door like it was paper.

As Trailbreaker struggled to his feet Megatron slammed his talons directly into his chest, half-lifting him up the rest of the way and twisting his powerful fingers with a cruel sneer, like he would cut the heart from Trailbreaker's chest.

The old Autobot car didn't even blink and Megatrons eyes widened slightly.

"You call that a killing blow?" Trailbreaker snarled, scooping up an old water tank and smashing into the side of Megatrons head. Water exploded everywhere.

"You said we were over-engineered!" He followed up with a head butt. Megatron slipped in the mire of mud and oil and in that instant Trailbreaker popped his shoulder compartment and a rocket grenade flipped up, arming itself.

One last round. He had been saving it.

But this Megatron was as fast as a cobra and he slapped his hand over the end of the rocket. He crushed it just as Trailbreaker fired and the explosion caught them both in it's blast.

Trailbreaker's shoulder blew out in a flash of servos and he cried out as he was slammed down on his opposite side in a splash of mud. Megatron reeled back on his feet and clutching his smoking fingers, he roared in pain-rage at the ceiling so that it shook the rafters. A hole was burned clean through the palm of his hand.

Snarling, he kicked Trailbreaker in the chest as he glimpsed the old warrior struggling to his feet _again _and the autobot was flung back into the garage wall, crushing it inwards. He half lay there among the broken cinder blocks, gasping.

Megatron shook his head in disbelief and appraised his hand.

"I would say...give me a hand up...but..." Trailbreaker laughed at his own joke and pushed himself up right one more time.

Megatron glowered at him as he lowered his hand, a killing light in his eyes. He was battered and filthy but undamaged until now. Now he was angry.

"Believe me when I tell you it's not a matter of _if_, old fool, but _when_." He shook out his hand and then balled it into a fist.

Trailbreaker was half sagging but standing, his one good arm up and his visor gleaming with a hint of his old power and stamina. Steam and lubricant leaked from the damage he had taken. Fuel ran out his mouth and down his chin to drip on his chest.

"Yeah, sure. It may be a question of when." He coughed and rolled his good shoulder like an old bull.

"But first it's a question of just how much it will take."

Starscream gave a squeal of shock when Megatron suddenly appeared, the doors to command-central hissing open to admit the Decepticon leader.

He strode into the room.

"It wasn't me!" Starscream cried, backing away from the computer console.

"I was just looking to see if..." He stopped his pleading as he got a closer look at Megatron.

Megatron was filthy. Covered in mud and oil and he had gouges of rust and scratches all over chassis. His face plate was dented as if it had been battered by a hammer. But nothing changed the fact that his eyes glowed just as murderously as ever. He stalked past Starscream without a word to reach down and press a key.

"Soundwave. Report to the bridge." He said.

"Master?" Starscream dared venture.

"We're leaving." Megatron said in a dangerous tone.

Drawing the wrong conclusions, Starscream allowed himself a little smirk at Megatrons back as he stepped away.

Mucking around down there looking for toys were you? Fool. But he did remember to keep his voice modulated respectfully, though his words were smug.

"I take it then we have concluded our business here, Master?"

"Yes." Megatron answered after a moment. He lifted his hand, studying the hole burned through his palm.

He made a fist again and glared out at the rolling clouds.

"It just took a little longer than I expected."


End file.
